EDIT - Didn't see this thread: http://bbs2.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?threadid=94363 Sorry admins. Please merge this thread w/ that one. Thanks! http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3133947 Visit to Seattle, home date vs. K.C. deemed suitable for Sunday night By JOSEPH DUARTE Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Two prime-time games and the first trip to Houston by the Pittsburgh Steelers in nearly a decade highlight the Texans' 2005 regular-season schedule released Wednesday. The Texans will play two Sunday night games on ESPN, visiting Seattle on Oct. 16 and hosting Kansas City on Nov. 20. That marks an improvement from only one prime-time game in their previous three seasons. The Texans will not have a Monday night game for the fourth year in a row. The Sept. 11 opener is on the road against Buffalo. The following week brings the home opener against the Steelers, who make their first visit to Houston since 1996, the Oilers' final season here before they left for Tennessee. In all, the 2005 schedule includes four teams (Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Seattle) that qualified for the playoffs last season. The Texans don't begin AFC South play until Week 5 — Oct. 9 at home against the Titans. The Texans will face NFC West opponents Seattle, St. Louis, Arizona and San Francisco for the first time in team history. At the conclusion of the 2005 season, the Texans will have played all of the NFL's 31 other teams. Times and dates also were announced for the Texans' four preseason games: at home against Denver (7 p.m., Aug. 13) and Oakland (7 p.m., Aug. 20) and on the road at Dallas (7 p.m., Aug. 27) and Tampa Bay (6:30 p.m., Sept. 1). Also Wednesday, the Texans entertained former University of Texas running back Cedric Benson, who is not expected to be available when Houston selects 13th in the first round of this month's NFL draft. The Texans also have met this week with free-agent defensive tackle Ellis Johnson. The 10-year veteran spent last season with Denver.
